Improvement in earth-boring and tube-sinking apparatus



UNITED STATES a specification:

CHARLES PONTEZ, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA..

IMPROVEMENT IN EARTH-BORING AND TUBE-SINKING ARPAR-ATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,202, dated January 6, 1874; application filed February 2l, 1873.

To all whom it may concern: i l

Beit known that LOHAELEs PONTEZ, of Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Raising Earthy Matters and Sinking Tubes, of which the following is The invention relates to improvementsin pneumatic earth elevating and discharging apparatus, for use in sinking wells, shafts, 8m.;

4 and consists in a certain construction and arrangementof parts, as hereinafter described, and explicitly set forth in the claims.

Figure lis a sectional elevation of a foundation-tube, a coffer, and an air-box for the drills, and a side elevation of the pneumatic ejecting apparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a foundation-tube and an air-lock, and a side v elevation of the drilling and ejecting apparain connection with it 5 and Figs. 7 and 8 represent different forms of angers that may be usedinstead of the drills. i v

A is the pipe through which the air for ejecting the earthy matters is to be forced down to the earth to be raised. B is the ejecting-tube, andato the lower ends of these two tubes, A and B, I attach an airboX, C, which is open at the under side to the earth, and in this I arrange `drills D for being turned by the shaft,

which will be revolved by power suitably applied at the top, to loosen up 'the earth, also scrapers E for scraping it up to the opening The drills, which coninto the ejecting-tube. sist of conical points projecting from arms, will bearranged at an inclination of about thirty degrees, as shown in Fig. 1, to cause y the loosened earth to rise on a cone to the cenA `ter, which it is believed will give the best results in working the earth into the ejecting tube. The form and arrangement of these drills may vary, however, as may be found best, as indica-ted by Fig. 4. The air, being forced into the drilhbox, escapes, of course,

through the ejecting-tube, and carries up the earth when it is sandy or of other fine. homo` geneous nature, letting the foundation-tube F settle down regularly and truly. 'In this case the drill-box is rounded, as shown in Fig. 5; but for working in earth containing` stones, or other bodies too large to be ejected by the pneumatic apparatus, I construct it, as represented in Fig. 6, with recesses. Gr, so thatit will at each revolution uncover some of the surface over which it works; and I use the coil'er H, which, being kept charged in the lower part with air by the tube I, will have a workman in it to remove the stones` or other objects through the recesses Gr, and will be raised up from time to time to be discharged. The raising of said coffer will be effected by discharging the water with which the upper chamber K will be filled to sink the coifer, the discharge being effected by allowing the air to be forced in through the pipe L, andthe water out through the pipe M. -With this contriv ance I can remove obstructions which would eifectually prevent `the use of the pneumatic apparatus alone, or'with the drill. This coier has a tube, N, at the center, which works on the shaft-tubes A and B as a guide, by which to keep it clear of the flanges by which the sections of the foundation-tubes are joined.

In practice, I propose to use an air-lock with this drilling and ejecting apparatus, to aiord access to it for removing objects too large for e escaping by the ejectingtube. N', Fig.' 2, represents the plates or disksof the air-lock, fixed in the tube F to be sunk, through which the shaft B passes, and to pack the holes for it airtight. I have an india-rubber washer, O, surrounding the shaft B, and attached to the top of the drill-box, to meet a corresponding disk, I?, in the bottom plate of the airlock,when the drill-box is raised up to it -to allow the workman to descend below the drill-box,'which makes an air-tight joint" at the hole for the shaft. The upper disk is also provided with a rubber packing-washer, Q, against which a washer, B, on the shaft comes to pack the hole i in the disk; and to prevent" the escape of air through the shaft B, its upper end is closed with a ball, T. The cylinder is then cleared' of water, and the workman descends through the -doorsV in the disks N', which open down- PATENT OFFICE.

ward.- The drill-box does not obstruct the opening of the lower door, in consequence of the recesses G, one of which is adjusted under the door to allow it to open and the workman to descend. When the drill is in operation with this air-lock, and let down below it, so that the washers will not packv against the disks, the upper washers will be held down with clamps W.

Instead of the drills above described, I may use closed conical angers, either inverted or with the base downward, as represented in Figs. 7 and 8. These angers are adapted to sandy or gravelly soils, and to work at great depth, as they prevent the air or Water used for ejectin g the earth from being absorbed by the soil under the constantly increasing pressnre. y Water may, of course, be used in the ejecting apparatus instead of air. By the airboX in connection with the drills, large tubes can be cheaply sunk in sandy soils without the expense of the air-locks, also small ones, in which the air-lock could not be used.

facilitate the delivering of the earth thereto, substantially as specified. if Y' 5. The arrangement of the coff'er with the tube-shaft B, to be vguided by it, substantially as specified.

CHAR LES PONTEZ.

Vitnesses:

S. WARREN Cinisi), H. BRoWNsoN. 

